Title: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Author: Grace Lin
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Childrens’ fiction, folklore
Age level: 8-12
Themes: Determination, tall tales, working hard, determining your destiny
Synopsis: In the Valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli spends her days working hard in the fields and her nights listening to her father spin fantastic tales about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon. Minli’s mother, tired of their poor life, chides him for filling her head with nonsense. But Minli believes these enchanting stories and embarks on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how her family can change their fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest.
Synopsis: In the Valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli spends her days working hard in the fields and her nights listening to her father spin fantastic tales about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon. Minli’s mother, tired of their poor life, chides him for filling her head with nonsense. But Minli believes these enchanting stories and embarks on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how her family can change their fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest.
About the author: Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat, returns with a wondrous story of happiness, family, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless adventure story in the classic tradition of The Wizard of Oz. With her beautiful full-color illustrations featured throughout, Grace has once again created a charming, engaging book for young readers.
Pre-reading activities: The students can brainstorm a list of things that families might have a tough time dealing with. Since Minli comes from a poor family, other students might be able to relate to that. Along with their list of things that families and the children might have trouble dealing with, they can think of things to resolve their problems and make their lives better.
Post-reading activities: Because there are magical creatures involved in the story, discuss folklore with the students. Write a list of the magical creatures Minli came across in her travel and what they did to help her family find a better life. This could also lead into other Chinese folklore, including Rikki Tikki Tembo. Though there weren't many illustrations throughout the book, the few illustrations are very simple, but very elegant, and gives the reader an idea of the difficult journey Minli went on to help her family.
Reflection: Since the book deals with a poor family and a tough life, I feel that some students in the classroom could relate to this theme. I liked the illustrations throughout the book, though there weren't that many. Grace Lin used darker colors in the full-page illustrations which give the reader a feeling of mystery and curiosity of what will happen as they read on.
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